CHILD AND ADOLESCENT TELE-PARTIAL HOSPITALIZATION PROGRAMS (TELE-PHP): OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES

Baweja, Raman; Ramtekkar, Ujjwal

Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic prevented a group-based partial hospitalization program (PHP) from running in-person care intermittently due to social distancing guidelines. The healthcare system adapted during a time of very high stress to develop novel and feasible care models, including the tele-PHPs. Presenters will discuss the development, implementation, and challenges of child and adolescent tele-PHPs. Methods: Presenters will share their personal experiences in establishing tele-PHPs. Presenters discuss the process of transitioning or developing new tele-PHPs and various challenges throughout this process. Presenters of this Clinical Perspectives are coming from different PHPs, including the general child and adolescent program, DBT-based, eating disorder, substance abuse, and OCD. Results: In the first talk, Meenal Pathak, MD, presents her experience in developing child and adolescent tele-PHPs in an academic setting. In the second talk, Shikha Verma, MD, discusses procedural and technological challenges associated with creating a virtual setup and other difficulties, including patient engagement, specific treatment-related challenges, and system-related changes. Jamal Essayli, PhD, presents experience in virtual intensive treatment for eating disorders. Joyce Chen, MD, discusses experience and challenges in developing a new in-person PHP enhanced with telehealth during this pandemic. As a discussant, Ujjwal Ramtekkar, MD, integrates these presentations and discusses the future of virtual care integration of the future of telehealth. Conclusions: Initial experiences with tele-PHP suggest that this can be a viable long-term treatment option in the future, during both a disaster and routine times, to improve access for those who otherwise cannot take advantage of such services. The outcome of this presentation is that attendees will have a better understanding of integration of virtual care in tele-PHP, challenges in developing this program, and the future of teleservices. TVM, PAH